Friday, November 25, 2011

As one of my "legacy" races - runs that I've done every year since I started running - I couldn't miss the Turkey Trot this year. And since my parents would be in town and wanted to do the walk with the kids, I found myself gingerly lacing up my shoes and strapping myself into my shoulder immobilizer for the first run since my fall a week and a half before.

It was quite a bit warmer that it was for last year's Turkey Trot, when temps were in the teens at the start line. My shorts and a windbreaker turned out to be a little warm during the run, but the walkers were fine in their new red sweatshirts. We milled around for awhile , and the kids were excited to meet the giant turkey.

Some confusion with the start time - it had been scheduled for 8:30, but the announcer kept telling us that they were going to stop taking registrations at 8:30, then start the race at 8:45. Hardly anyone could hear him, though, and the 2 mile walkers (who had their own start line) got antsy and took off at about 8:35. The starter for the runners even got us off a little bit before 8:45, too - 8:37 according to my watch. I know this isn't a completely serious race, but it seems like a race should pick a start time and stick with it...

Since I hadn't run at all wearing my shoulder sling, I was curious to see how it would go. Turned out just fine - a little awkward in the crowds at the start, where I was worried about tripping over someone's feet, but perfectly manageable once things thinned out. My first mile was slow, then I picked it up for a couple miles, and slowed a little for the last two.

And the course was perfect this year! After the 5.8 mile "10K" last year that yielded so many PRs, they figured it out this time. My watch measured exactly 6.2 miles - I usually don't get GPS data that perfect. Good job there, guys.

Saw a few people out on the course - Ryan Evans from ActiveReno, Eric Lerude of the Reno-Tahoe Odyssey, and Page from Twenty-Six And Then Some, in town for the holiday. Didn't get to say hi after the race, unfortunately - I was too slow this time to catch any of you fast people after the race. :)

I did get a good comment from the finish line announcer - said I was hardcore to run in an arm sling - he had almost not showed up that morning because he was having a bad hair day!

Result are posted at ActiveReno - my 52:00 got me 238th place, 45th in my age group. Yikes, last year I was a whole 10 minutes faster. Guess that's what I should expect from it, though.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Wow, so it's been awhile since I talked about what was going on with my ankle. Short story is: at my most recent physical therapy session, they found a really painful knot of scar tissue deep in my ankle and worked it out. After that, I was able to run a pretty pain-free 4 miler. I followed that up with the "unofficial" Donner Lake Turkey Trot - Since it was cancelled, Gretchen and I did the 7 mile loop around the lake anyway. Ankle was OK there - hurt a little, but never got past a certain point. I was getting kind of excited about running again, and was starting to get a little training plan in my head to get back on track.

So - Tuesday I didn't need to be in to work until 11:15, and figured I'd get a morning run in after dropping off the kids - when it had warmed up a bit and was actually light out. My 5 mile loop backwards sounded like the perfect run - up Keystone, over the top of McCarran, and down 7th St. Everything was going fine; ankle was feeling about like it did up at Donner, and i was just over halfway through the run, going downhill on the inside of McCarran heading towards 7th. There was a crack and raised area of the sidewalk that I didn't see at all, and I apparently caught my right toe on it and went down hard. Honestly, it happened so fast I'm not quite sure which way I fell - just felt a crack that I think was my neck. I canted a bit to the left and ended up rolling about 15 feet down the embankment, coming to rest in some fluffy bushes. And no, none of the cars driving by stopped to see if I was OK.

Trying to pick myself up, I immediately knew something was wrong with my left shoulder. Managed to drag myself back up to the sidewalk, where my water bottle and glasses landed. (Good thing my glasses stayed up there, I wouldn't have been able to find them in the dirt.) I started walking home - about a mile and a half down King's Row - and took stock as I went. Couldn't really move or hold anything with my left arm. Hmm. Fortunately, I had my cell phone with me - I don't usually carry it, but I was testing out a GPS app - so I called my wife, my work to let them know I wouldn't be in, and my doctors office for an appointment.

After a painful change of clothes and awkward shower, I waited around at the doctor's office, then got x-rays. Filled prescriptions for pain meds and picked up a "shoulder immobilizer." Spent the rest of the day loopy on the couch, tweeting on a laptop and watching old episodes of Top Gear. Heard back from the doctor the next day - no break visible on the x-rays. I'll let it rest this weekend and go back in Monday to talk about whether I should see an orthopedist, get an MRI or CT scan, or what. Meanwhile, I have a nasty bruise forming right on the meaty part of my left bicep - weird place to get a bruise from the sidewalk. And I'm back at work - only at about 60% efficiency with my left arm immobilized, but getting stuff done.

So, yeah - be careful out there, people. And if you see a runner take a digger by the side of the road, stop and ask if they're OK, huh?

The 2011 Donner Lake Turkey Trot Event has been

CANCELLED

Well, it appears it's about that time of the year again - early November, time to break out the gloves, hats and tights and start thinking about Turkey Trots. As far as I can see, there are four five of them going on in the Reno/Tahoe/Carson area in the next few weeks:

Sunday, November 13

Donner Lake Turkey Trot
35th annual this year, a fun and funky family friendly run that includes a "Mashed Potato Mile" for the kids in addition to the 7 mile loop around Donner Lake.

Cold Turkey Run
The first event in the Winter Trail Series, put on by Ascent Physical Therapy down in Carson City. If the course is the same as last year, it's a great trail run on the side of Prison Hill, using some of the trails from the Escape from Prison Hill. Fun group and a great area to run.

Families First of the Sierra Turkey Trail Trot 5K/10K
The first year of this event, up in Cold Springs. The description says "Both the 5K and 10K are out and back courses. Trails consist of sand,
rocks, hills and possibly mud and snow. Race will take place in rain,
snow or shine!" Sounds like a blast!

Thursday, November 24

Scheels/City of Sparks Turkey Trot
Always popular event, now run out of the Scheels parking lot instead of starting at the Sparks Marina. "Throw your turkey in the oven and head out to Legends to participate in a
2–mile walk or run (non–timed) or a 10K run (timed). The registration
fee includes a sweatshirt, fruit and refreshments."

Kaia F.I.T. Gratitude Gallop"Minden/Carson Kaia F.I.T. are hosting their 2nd Annual Gratitude Gallop on 11/24/11! There will be a 5k and a 10k, and ALL proceeds will benefit the organization Food For Thought, which discreetly provides food to hungry and malnourished children in our community so they can have meals over the weekend when school meals aren't available. Please bring any child-friendly items to donate! Get the turkey & fixings going early, than come out & get your early morning workout done!"

Sunday, November 6, 2011

So last night was the Anything is Possible 5K up at UNR. I blogged about this one coming up a couple weeks ago; it's the one that takes place during the Daylight Saving Time switch over (the "fall back") - so that every time should be a negative time. For example, if you started at 1:50 AM, the clocks lose an hour at 2:00 AM, and you run a 30 minute 5K, you'll finish at 1:20 - half an hour before you started! Or something like that...

At any rate, I picked up my bib and t-shirt at the Little Waldorf around 9:30, then went home and set the alarm on my phone for 1:00 AM. At some point during the night, I rolled over and picked it up to take a look, and it said 12:59 - wow, perfect timing! I got up, figuring I had plenty of time to get over to the university, when I saw that our wall clock said 1:35! Somehow my phone froze at 12:59 - good thing I woke up. Threw my gear on, got out to the car (forgetting my camera, so no pictures) and over to UNR to park and get to the start line with about 3 minutes to spare. Didn't even have a chance to get cold before we started running.

And it WAS cold - mid 30s and snowing a bit at the start. But we all warmed up with a quick jaunt uphill before turning and bombing downhill toward the quad. We saw the leaders heading back up the hill before we split off to do a lap around the quad - they were blazing fast! Then we made the turn and crawled up a few sets of hills before passing the stadium and turning into the finish.

I managed to not embarrass myself despite my lack of training, finishing with about 22:20. It looked like that was about 23rd overall, and a 4th place age group. The new insoles I'm trying out, with some posting on the left foot to try to help my ankle, didn't really help - and gave me a decent blister as well. Gonna have to do a little work on those.

Post-race, most of the runners moved over to the Little Wal for complimentary breakfast burritos and cocoa. Hit the spot pretty well at that point. I can't speak for the rest of the crowd, but I took myself home pretty quick and tried to get back to sleep. Another really fun run in the bag.

I hope they do this race again next year - what a great way to mark the changing of the clocks.

Results have been posted. Looks like thanks to 25-39 age groups, I got 11th instead of 4th. Ouch! But, wow - with the walk and the run together, there were more than 200 people out there. Impressive showing!